I was concerned when I was putting my Ultimate together too, but I've been amazed at how well they are holding up. I fly off a VERY rough grass field, and they are not bending at all. They may have spread just slightly, but even with my 18 inch prop, I still have plenty of clearance, so they can't have spread much. They seems springy, and they are, in fact I've noticed the wheel pants still dancing as I make my first turn after take-off, but they're VERY strong!